Method of making sliders



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- METHOD OF MAKING SLIDERS Filed July 28, 1955 INVENTOR. MA 70/1 1. GOD/ R5 a I .T:q.7. g

lVlllz'l/ llllll an 3 b 1 United States Patent METHOD OF MAKING SLIDERS Milton L. Godfrey, Conneaut Lake, Pa., assignor to Talon, Inc., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 28, 1955, Serial No. 525,033

3 Claims. (Cl. 29-409) This invention relates to a method of making sliders and, particularly to the type consisting of one piece having wing portions connected by an integral reinforcing portion.

In the patent to Sundback No. 1,810,377, dated June 16, 1931, there is disclosed a method of making sliders of the type with which the present invention is concerned. In this patent the slider blanks are formed from an elongated strip of metal with thickened portions formed at spaced intervals on one side of the strip and spaced-apart lug portions formed on the opposite side thereof adapted to be carried by one of the wing portions after they are formed. After the blanks have been formed and separated from the strip, the wing portions of each blank are bent at the thickened portion toward one another substantially into parallelism so as to deform and compress the thickened portion between the slider wings. Both the thickened portions and lug portions are formed on the strip by passing the strip intermittently through a heavy coining die. As a result the metal of the strip is deformed and flows outwardly to all sides of the thickened portions and lug portions so as to provide relatively thin and wide web portions. These Web portions are much wider than the overall width of the completed slider wings.

While this method of making sliders has proven to be satisfactory, it results in an appreciable amount of scrap due to the fact that the slider blanks are blanked out of the strip centrally thereof resulting in an excess amount of scrap along the marginal edges of the strip. Also, in the coining operation it is difficult to control the thickness of the web portions within very close tolerances. The practice of this method also requires frequent maintenance and replacement of the coining dies which constantly are under terrific strain in causing the metal to flow. It is to an improved method of preparing the strip for fabricating sliders of the above type and eliminating the above mentioned disadvantages that the present invention relates.

Accordingly, it is the general object of the present invention to provide an improved method of producing sliders from a single piece of metallic stock of the type having a reinforced neck portion wherein the scrap resulting from the forming operations is reduced to a minimum and is substantially less than in the method heretofore used in making sliders of this type.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved method of producing sliders of this type which results in a more uniform product and which method may be practiced with simple and inexpensive equipment having a relatively low maintenance cost.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide an improved method of making sliders of this type wherein the strip from which the sliders are formed is initially prepared by a simple rolling and swaging operation so as to provide a uniform strip, thereby reducing materially the cost of fabrication of this type of slider.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent in the course of the following spec- 2,844,866 =aien ea July 29, 1958 In the accompanying drawings, there is shown for the purpose of illustration, an embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the strip of metal from which the slires are formed,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the strip after rolling, the first step in accordance with my improved method,

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view through the swaging dies showing the deforming or flattening of the thickened portions, the second step of my method,

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the strip as it appears after the second operation,

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the strip as shown in Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the strip as it appears after the wing portions have been formed,

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a slider blank,

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the blank as shown in Fig. 8,

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on line 10-10 of Fig.9,

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the slider blank as shown in Fig. 8 after the marginal flanges have formed on the wing portions,

Fig. 12 is a side elevational view of the slider blank as shown in Fig. 11, and

Fig. 13 is a side elevational view of the completed slider after the bending operation which is the final step of my method.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the slider is formed from an elongated strip 2 of metal by reducing the thickness of the strip 2 and forming a longitudinally extending thickened portion or rib 3 on one side and centrally thereof which is substantially V-shaped in cross section and forming a longitudinally extending thickened 7 portion or rib 4 on the opposite side thereof centrally of the strip substantially rectangular-shaped in cross section,

as shown in Fig. 2. This forming of the strip is accomplished preferably by passing the strip 2, asshown in Fig. 1, through and between a pair of rolls (not shown) having the proper configuration in the periphery thereof to obtain the desired cross section, as shown in Fig. 2.' The strip from which the slider is formed may be cylin-,

drical in cross section as shown or a flat strip of rectangular cross section as desired. Thus, it will be seen that as a result of such rolling, an elongated rolled strip is provided having an elongated thickened portion 3 on one side and another elongated thickened portion 4 directly opposite thereto on the opposite side with relatively thin web portions 5 arranged to either side thereof.

After the strip has been rolled as above described, the I partially formed strip is introduced between a pair of suitable swaging dies 6 and 7, as shown in Fig. 3. As the strip is passed between these dies, the metal of the thickened portions or ribs 3 and 4 is forced together at spaced intervals throughout the length of the strip substantially into the. plane of the web portions 5 so as to 9 projecting outwardly from the respective wing portions, as shown in' Figs. 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings. It will be understood that these wing portions 10 are formed by blanking out the metal ofthe-web portions along the marginal edges of the strip by means of, suitable dies. Thus, it will be seen that there is then provided a series of. connected slider blanks with eachconsistingof apair of wing portions having a diamond-shaped thickened portion 8 arranged centrally thereof witha lug portion 9 extending outwardly from one of the wings.

After the strip has been thus formed, the slider blanks are successively cut from the strip so asto provide individual slider blanks, as shown in Figs, 8 and 9 of the-drawings, Marginal flange portions 12 are then formed'by bending the metal at the marginal edges of each of the wings by means of suitable dies so as to provide a blank, as shown in Figs. 11 andlZ,

It will be understood that the lug portions 9 are provided for the attachment of a pull or manipulating member thereto for actuating the slider when in use. The sides of these lug portions 9 may be indented, as at 13, at any suitable point in the fabrication of the slider blanks for the purpose of receiving thetrunnion portions of a pull tab member 14.

The slider blanks are now completely formed and in readiness for the final operation of bending. The wing portions 10 of each of the blanks arelhen bent toward each other so as to have the thickened portion 8 preferably inside the bend and directly between the wings, as shown in Fig. 13. During this bending operation, it will be understood that the thickened portion 8 is deformed and compacted. The wing portions are finally bent into substantially parallelism so as to provide a slider body consisting of a pair of spaced-apart wing portionslt) connected at one end by a neck portion and having inwardly extending marginal flanges 12 so as to provide substantially a Y-shaped channel 16 between the wing portions for receiving the fastener elements of theslide fastener. The pull member 14 is then attached to the lug portion 9 so as to provide a completed slider ready for use.

As a result of my invention, it will be seen that a substantial saving in metal is realized over methods heretofore used, especially by the coined method, as shown in the aforementioned patent to Sundback. It will be understoodthat the width of rolled strip, as shown in Fig, 2, is no greater than the greatest width of the slider blank thereby reducing scrap to a minimum. strip, both the width andthickness thereof can be more accurately controlled than by the, use of coining dies, thereby improving the product. Also the maintenance of sueh rolls is less expensive than that of coining dies and the strip can be formed at a much higher rate of speed. Another advantage is that the swaging operation can be performed by a light-weight high speed press thereby eliminating the need of heavy coining equipment.

While I have shown and described and embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose of illustration and description, and that other forms may bedevised within the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The method of making sliders for slide fasteners which comprises forming an elongated continuous thickened portion on-one side of a strip of material centrally thereof, said thickened portion being substantially V- In rolling the- 4. shaped in cross-section, simultaneously forming on the opposite side of the strip centrally thereof another elongated continuous thickened portion substantially rectangular-shaped in cross-section, deforming and flattening both of said thickened portions at spaced intervals so as to provide a strip having a series of spaced-apart substantially diamond-shaped thickened portions on one side of the strip and a series of spaced-apart substantially rectangular-shaped lug portions on the opposite side thereof, forming wing portions to either side of each of and partly including said diamond-shaped thickened portions so as to provide a series of connected slider blanks, cutting said slider blanks from said strip, and finally bending said wings of each ofrsaid slideri blanks at said diamondshaped thickened portion toward one another into substantially parallelism so as to compress said thickened portion therebetween with said rectangular-shaped lug extending outwardly from. One of said wingportions.

6. method, of; making. sliders. for slide fasteners whi h. comprises reducing-by rolling a piece of strip material to a relatively thin sheet and simultaneously. forming. thereon an elongated; continuous thickened portion on one side of a strip centrally thereof, said thickened portionbeing substantially \/.-shaped. in cross-section and simultaneously forming on the, opposite side of the strip another elongatedv continuous thickened portion substantially rectangular-shaped in:cross-section, deforming and flattening both of,said:thickened portions at spaced intervals: so, as-to provide. a strip havinga series of spacedapart,. Subs antially diamond-shaped thickened portions on; onesidaofthe. strip ,and a. series. of spaced-apart, substantially rectangular-shapedlug portions on the opposite side thereof, formingwing'portions to either side of each of, and partlyincluding said. diamond-shaped thickened portions so as to; provide a series. of connected slider blanks, cutting, said slider. blanks from said strip, and.

finallybending,saidwingyportions. of each of said slider blanks at said-thickenedpportion toward one another into bstantially,parallelismsoas to compress said thickened portion. therebetween. with said rectangular-shaped lug extending outwardlyfromoneof said wing portions.

3. The, method of making, sliders for slide fasteners which comprises reducingby rolling an elongated strip of metallic material .so;as toprovidcan elongated continuous thickened :porti on,centrallythereof andrelatively thin side portions to, either side of said: thickened portion, said thickened ;porti0n extendingoutwardly to either side of said strip,-,deformingsaid: thickened portion at spacedapart intervals so as to;force the material of said. thickened portionsubstantially into the plane of the strip and said side portions 3IldS0,ElS;llO provide a series of spaced-apart substantially diamond-shaped thickened portions along said strip, forming wing portions in said strip to either side of,each of saiddiamond-shaped thickened portions so as to provide a series of connected slider blanks, flanging the marginal edges of each of said wing portions, cutting said slider :blanks from said strip, and finally bending the wings ofeach of said slider blanks at said diamondshaped thickened portion toward one another into substantially parallelism so as to compress said diamondshaped portion therebetween.

References Cited. in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

